Display case



June 20, 1939- T. J. PILLIOD ET Az. 2,163,008

` DISPLAY CASE Filed om, 2o, 19:57

o with those of adjoining ends.

Patented June 20, 1939 ATENT OFFlE DISPLAY OASE Thomas J. Pilliod and Ferdinand C, H. Mller, Swanton, Ohio, assignors to The lPilliod Cabinet Company, Swanton, Ohio, a corporation of Ghio Application October 20, 1937, Serial No. 169,994

`1 Claim.

This invention relates to merchandise display cases, and particularly to transparent closure members for the display openings of such cases.

The object of the invention is the provision in a case of this character of a closure member of resilient material preferably, but not necessarily, of a transparent nature, having depending marginal anges together with simple and novel means for engaging such flanges to the side wall members of a display opening of the case.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and from the accompanying drawing, in Which- Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a display case, with closure membersl embodying the invention in association with both the cover and bottom members thereof, and Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of one of the closure members o shown in Fig. 1, as it appears when removed from the case.

Referring to the drawing, I5 designates the cover of an article display case, which cover has its under side recessed, and I6 designates the bottom or body member of such a case and has its top side recessed to receive articles to be displayed. The bottom member I6 is shown as provided with the customary lining member Il which projects at its outer edge above the edge of the 30 case member to adapt it to enter within the edge of the recess in the cover member I5. Such lining is customarily faced with a soft cloth, or other suitable material I3. A closure member I9 embodying the invention is mounted in each mem- 85 ber I5, I 6, of the display case and each of such members is of resilient material preferably, but not necessarily, transparent. This material may constitute what is termed in the trade as acetate sheet, or it may be of cellulosic, or other suitable nature. The former is non-combustible and therefore preferable to use.

Each closure member I9 is of polygonal shape and size corresponding substantially to the shape and size of the recess of the case member in 5 which it is disposed, and is provided, preferably -at each edge, with a flange projecting laterally from the body portion of the member in angular relation thereto, and when in such position to have its end edges substantially meet The flanges 20 normally stand in outwardly sprung relation to the positions they assume when mounted in the case member, as shown in Fig. 2. The outer edge of each ange 20 is provided with an integral 55 outturned lip flange 2| which is shown as in-I @lined outwardly from the flanges toward the plane of the body portion of the closure member.

When a member I9 is inserted into the recess or opening or either the cover I5 or bottom I6 of the case, the edge flanges 20 are pressed inwardly from their normal outwardly sprung positions and the free edges of the lip flanges 2| bear outwardly against the side Walls of the recess and serve to frictionally resist a withdrawal of the closure member from the recess.- The body portion of the member I9, which is disposed Within the case member I6, is substantially the size of the recess so as to fit therein, While the member IS, which is disposed in the cover member, is slightly smaller in size than the recess of the cover member, so as to receive the outwardly projecting edge of the lining I'I when the cover member is closed down over the bottom member IS, as shown in Fig. 1.

The lip flanges 2I are acutely angled relative to the attached flanges 2B, so as to facilitate telescoping the closure I9 within a respective case member and then to coact at their edges with the wall of the recess in which disposed to resist an outward withdrawal thereof from the member.

It is apparent that in shaping a closure member embodying the invention, the material comprising such member is preferably of such a nature that the best results would be obtained by subjecting the member to heat during the pressing or shaping operation.

We wish it understood that our invention is not limited to any specic construction, arrangement or form of the parts, as it is capable of numerous modifications and changes without departing from the spirit of the claim.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is:

In a display case, a member having side walls and an open top, and a closure member of thin material of a resilient nature for closing said opening, said member having depending normally outwardly sprung iianges adapted, when retracted from normal position, to be telescoped within said side Walls through said opening and having outwardly turned edge lips which frictionally engage the respective side Wall surfaces, said lips being acutely angled relative to the attached anges to facilitate insertion of the closure member into said member and to resist an outward withdrawal thereof from the member. 

